hunted two more for Amanda and her mother. They worked
together to fix breakfast.
After lunch, Grandpa drove Amanda
and her father to the pasture to find tree. Grandpa drove Old Blue
in circles, waiting for Jeff and Amanda to pick the tree they liked
best. On the third go around, Art said, “Ya two best hurry up and
make a decision, or we're goin' to run out of gas. It won't be no
fun draggin' one of the big trees back to the house if yer a
foot.”
“He's right, Amanda. I remember doing that when I was a
kid,” Jeff grinned.
“Grandpa had Old Blue back then?” Amanda asked.
“He
did only the pickup was new at that time. Your grandpa didn't want
to waste gas so we walked after the tree and drug it home,” Jeff
explained.
Jeff and Grandpa fixed a wooden
stand and uprighted the tree in the parlor while Tansy popped a
dishpan full of corn. While the tree warmed up so its branches
relaxed, the family visited at the table and ate popcorn. Tansy,
Iris and Amanda strung popcorn garlands to decorate the
tree.
Grandma brought out the box of
decorations from the closet. As they took each one out of the box,
Jeff explained how they came to have that particular ornament. Some
of them, he made at school and Sunday school.
The next morning, Amanda ran to the
window and looked out. Light snow covered the farm in pristine
white just like a Christmas card. Amanda was so glad her parents
came with her to spend Christmas with her grandparents. The family
had such a good time that Christmas break. She didn't even mind
sleeping in the parlor on the couch so her parents could have her
bedroom.
Why should she mind? Sleeping in
the parlor put her closer to the real Christmas tree that gave the
house a cedar scent. As she fell asleep she never grew tired of
watching her favorite decorations, the string of colorful, boiling,
bubble candle lights.
Going to the farm was the start of
what became a holiday tradition for Amanda's family. It was the
kind of story book Christmas Amanda hadn't thought she'd ever be a
part of, and she was so glad for each Christmas.
Chapter Eleven
That Christmas morning, Grandpa
drove Old Blue. As usual, Tansy and Amanda bounced every time
Grandpa hit a pothole. They didn't complain. They just looked at
each other and smiled. Once in awhile, Amanda checked the side
mirror to make sure her parents car keeping up with fast moving Old
Blue.
She reaffirmed celebrating
Christmas in Pleasant Valley was the right choice for her when she
marveled at the many color changes that winter brought.
The trees that hugged the road
weren't green anymore. The bleak branches, now draped in Virginia
ivy, turned red and touch with snow dust, stood out amid stately,
dark green cedars.
On the edge of the road, frost had
dried up the red sumac and yellow goldenrod. The giant polk plants,
just stalks now, were decorated with frozen, purple berry
clusters.
Tansy told Amanda in the old days
women boiled the berries and used the juice to stain sheep's wool
to spin into purple yarn with their spinning wheels.
Silvery sparkles of snow coated the
plants, resembling Christmas glitter.
As Grandpa pulled into the church
yard, a chilly breeze gusted. The force of the wind swept a shower
of dried leaves flying from the trees to clatter on the roof. The
noisy leaves slide to the ground, skittered away and lodged against
the trees and bushes.
“Get
on out, Mandie. We’re the first ones here so we make a fire,”
explained Art.
Nothing had changed inside the
church since summer or for decades. Same wooden pews and the out of
tune, upright piano.
Grandpa carried an armload of oak
slabs from the stack in the blue wood box. He filled the heating
stove, and soon the chill was gone.
The row of pews on the north side
of the church were good spots sit to view the timber from the
windows. As the pews filled with people, Amanda scooted over next
to a window. The squirrels must be hibernating now. A rabbit darted
nervously from one bush
together to fix breakfast.
After lunch, Grandpa drove Amanda
and her father to the pasture to find tree. Grandpa drove Old Blue
in circles, waiting for Jeff and Amanda to pick the tree they liked
best. On the third go around, Art said, “Ya two best hurry up and
make a decision, or we're goin' to run out of gas. It won't be no
fun draggin' one of the big trees back to the house if yer a
foot.”
“He's right, Amanda. I remember doing that when I was a
kid,” Jeff grinned.
“Grandpa had Old Blue back then?” Amanda asked.
“He
did only the pickup was new at that time. Your grandpa didn't want
to waste gas so we walked after the tree and drug it home,” Jeff
explained.
Jeff and Grandpa fixed a wooden
stand and uprighted the tree in the parlor while Tansy popped a
dishpan full of corn. While the tree warmed up so its branches
relaxed, the family visited at the table and ate popcorn. Tansy,
Iris and Amanda strung popcorn garlands to decorate the
tree.
Grandma brought out the box of
decorations from the closet. As they took each one out of the box,
Jeff explained how they came to have that particular ornament. Some
of them, he made at school and Sunday school.
The next morning, Amanda ran to the
window and looked out. Light snow covered the farm in pristine
white just like a Christmas card. Amanda was so glad her parents
came with her to spend Christmas with her grandparents. The family
had such a good time that Christmas break. She didn't even mind
sleeping in the parlor on the couch so her parents could have her
bedroom.
Why should she mind? Sleeping in
the parlor put her closer to the real Christmas tree that gave the
house a cedar scent. As she fell asleep she never grew tired of
watching her favorite decorations, the string of colorful, boiling,
bubble candle lights.
Going to the farm was the start of
what became a holiday tradition for Amanda's family. It was the
kind of story book Christmas Amanda hadn't thought she'd ever be a
part of, and she was so glad for each Christmas.
Chapter Eleven
That Christmas morning, Grandpa
drove Old Blue. As usual, Tansy and Amanda bounced every time
Grandpa hit a pothole. They didn't complain. They just looked at
each other and smiled. Once in awhile, Amanda checked the side
mirror to make sure her parents car keeping up with fast moving Old
Blue.
She reaffirmed celebrating
Christmas in Pleasant Valley was the right choice for her when she
marveled at the many color changes that winter brought.
The trees that hugged the road
weren't green anymore. The bleak branches, now draped in Virginia
ivy, turned red and touch with snow dust, stood out amid stately,
dark green cedars.
On the edge of the road, frost had
dried up the red sumac and yellow goldenrod. The giant polk plants,
just stalks now, were decorated with frozen, purple berry
clusters.
Tansy told Amanda in the old days
women boiled the berries and used the juice to stain sheep's wool
to spin into purple yarn with their spinning wheels.
Silvery sparkles of snow coated the
plants, resembling Christmas glitter.
As Grandpa pulled into the church
yard, a chilly breeze gusted. The force of the wind swept a shower
of dried leaves flying from the trees to clatter on the roof. The
noisy leaves slide to the ground, skittered away and lodged against
the trees and bushes.
“Get
on out, Mandie. We’re the first ones here so we make a fire,”
explained Art.
Nothing had changed inside the
church since summer or for decades. Same wooden pews and the out of
tune, upright piano.
Grandpa carried an armload of oak
slabs from the stack in the blue wood box. He filled the heating
stove, and soon the chill was gone.
The row of pews on the north side
of the church were good spots sit to view the timber from the
windows. As the pews filled with people, Amanda scooted over next
to a window. The squirrels must be hibernating now. A rabbit darted
nervously from one bush
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